Paint and other hazardous chemicals, are often stored, sold and transported in metal cylindrical containers which have friction fit lids. The most well known example of this type of container is the one gallon paint can. While the lids of these containers, which are generally pushed into the top of the container, are adequate to maintain the contents of the container in stable situations, these lids have been found to allow leaks or to come off when the container has been severely jarred, as when it is dropped, knocked over, or hit.
Frequently, these containers are stacked one on top of another for transportation, storage or display. As the containers are generally cylindrical, the stacking arrangement is often unstable when containers are stacked above two or three containers. Further, because of irregularities in the container lids, or when a container has been dropped or jarred causing buckling in the container or its lid, the containers often do not sit well one on top of another causing further instability in the stack. As stacking of these containers may be the preferred method of storage and display, the instability of such stacking often results in containers being knocked over and contents spilling out. Further, as the containers are stacked for transportation, storage and display, it would be desirable to be able to move containers from storage to display in stacked relationship. Because of the instability of stacks of these containers, and because each container is usually just seated on the container bellow it, the usual way of moving containers is to either place them into boxes or to move each container, one by one, from one place to another.
I have invented a novel device that locks the lid of a friction fit container to the container so that the lid can not be easily removed from the container when the container is jarred or falls. Further, the device provides a seat which accommodates the bottom of another container in stacked relationship with the container on which the device is placed, thus eliminating the instability inherent in the stacking of the containers. The device further provides means to lock the first container to the second container increasing the stability of the stack of containers and providing a means to move the entire stack of containers by lifting the top container.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means for locking the lid of container to the container to facilitate the safe transportation, storage and display of containers of hazardous liquids.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a seat between a first and second container so that the second container may be securely seated above the first container.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means to lock a first container to a second container, disposed above said first container, such that the first and second container may be securely stacked and transported in unison.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.